Student Spotlight: Taylor Boozer

ASHLEY JIAN

Taylor Boozer, a junior at Westminster, is a student designer who designs and produces clothing all from her workshop at home. Taylor regularly purchases cheap clothes and fabrics at the thrift store and transforms them into trendy outfits that you might see in Seventeen. Her interest in fashion design started a year ago in her JanTerm course, Fashion Design, when the projects she worked on in the classroom sparked a light in her that made her want to continue pursuing her designs out of class. She started with a handmade purse which she described as “not very good”, but it was the start of something new.

Over the summer, Taylor took home one of Ms. Martinez’s unused sewing machines to try out some designs she had in mind. She lists some of her greatest inspirations as Vogue magazines, fashion-related subscription emails, and especially “thrift-flip” YouTube videos to compile ideas and make a final product. However, the most important thought Taylor always keeps in mind is to enjoy the process and find a way to input her own style to make all her pieces unique.

Taylor has been sharing her love for design to the public through her instagram account, @taylor_.made, where she posts photos of her original designs and final products. Her pieces range from summer outfits ready for the beach to Disney costumes and even customized pieces for her peers. One of the most iconic Taylor-made pieces is a white faux fur jacket. Taylor explained that she had dressed up as Cruella de Vil in 7th grade and took inspiration from that experience to create her own version of the iconic Disney character. Although the challenge was daunting at first, Taylor finalized the piece bit by bit, making sure every stitch was in the right place with the right measurements. In describing some of her design process, Taylor revealed that she does not have a pattern book, a book/guide most designers use to inspire patterns in their pieces, meaning she had to put together patterns and textures herself for this piece. She even considered adding pockets to the jacket, but it proved to be an obstacle since the pockets would add bulkiness to the specified areas, throwing off the balance of the jacket as a whole. In styling the jacket, Taylor recommends “pairing it with basics underneath since the jacket is quite ‘out there’”, but to also try bolder options such as leopard print with a plaid skirt or jeans for the bottoms.

Since starting her journey of design, Taylor has learned the ins and outs of the fashion industry. One of the major skills she’s learned from first-hand experience is the ability to distinguish high-quality clothes from mass made clothes sold in popular retail stores such as Zara. She highlights the details that sets one from the other including how well the stitching is done and well aligned the symmetry of a piece is. While she does not plan to make a living off her interest in design, Taylor is very confident that she will keep the skills she’s learned from her projects throughout her life. This includes her wish to support sustainability in the environment due to the immense amount of waste the fashion industry creates. Through her “thrift flips,” Taylor hopes that her efforts to recycle old clothes is taking one step forward in cleaning up the Earth and promoting sustainability.